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THE NOTEBOOK

by Nicholas Sparks ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 11, 1996

An epic of treacle, an ocean of tears, made possible by a perfect, ideal, unalloyed absence of humor. Destined, positively,...

Sparks's debut is a contender in the Robert Waller book-sweeps for most shamelessly sentimental love story, with honorable mention for highest octane schmaltz throughout an extended narrative.

New Bern is the Carolina town where local boy Noah Calhoun and visitor Allison Nelson fall in love, in 1932, when Noah is 17 and Allie 15 ("as he...met those striking emerald eyes, he knew...she was the one he could spend the rest of his life looking for but never find again''). Allie's socially prominent mom, however, sees their Romeo-and-Juliet affair differently, intercepting Noah's heartrendingly poetic love-letters, while Allie, sure he doesn't love her, never even sends hers. Love is forever, though, and in 1946 Allie sees a piece in the paper about Noah (he's back home after WW II, still alone, living in a 200-year-old house in the country) and drives down to see him, telling the socially prominent lawyer she's engaged to that she's gone looking for antiques ("'And here it will end, one way or the other,' she whispered''). And together again the lovers come indeed, during a thunderstorm, before a crackling fire, leaving the poetic Noah to reflect that "to him, the evening would be remembered as one of the most special times he had ever had.'' So, will Allie marry her lawyer? Will Noah live out his life alone, rocking on his porch, paddling up the creek, "playing his guitar for beavers and geese and wild blue herons''? Suffice it to say that love will go on, somehow, for 140 more pages, readers will find out what the title means and may or may not agree with Allie, of Noah: "You are the most forgiving and peaceful man I know. God is with you, He must be, for you are the closest thing to an angel that I've ever met.''

Pub Date: Oct. 11, 1996

ISBN: 0-446-52080-2

Page Count: 224

Publisher: Warner

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1996

HISTORICAL FICTION

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SEEN & HEARD

THE NIGHTINGALE

THE NIGHTINGALE

by Kristin Hannah ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 3, 2015

Still, a respectful and absorbing page-turner.

Hannah’s new novel is an homage to the extraordinary courage and endurance of Frenchwomen during World War II.

In 1995, an elderly unnamed widow is moving into an Oregon nursing home on the urging of her controlling son, Julien, a surgeon. This trajectory is interrupted when she receives an invitation to return to France to attend a ceremony honoring  passeurs : people who aided the escape of others during the war. Cut to spring, 1940: Viann has said goodbye to husband Antoine, who's off to hold the Maginot line against invading Germans. She returns to tending her small farm, Le Jardin, in the Loire Valley, teaching at the local school and coping with daughter Sophie’s adolescent rebellion. Soon, that world is upended: The Germans march into Paris and refugees flee south, overrunning Viann’s land. Her long-estranged younger sister, Isabelle, who has been kicked out of multiple convent schools, is sent to Le Jardin by Julien, their father in Paris, a drunken, decidedly unpaternal Great War veteran. As the depredations increase in the occupied zone—food rationing, systematic looting, and the billeting of a German officer, Capt. Beck, at Le Jardin—Isabelle’s outspokenness is a liability. She joins the Resistance, volunteering for dangerous duty: shepherding downed Allied airmen across the  Pyrenees to Spain. Code-named the Nightingale, Isabelle will rescue many before she's captured. Meanwhile, Viann’s journey from passive to active resistance is less dramatic but no less wrenching. Hannah vividly demonstrates how the Nazis, through starvation, intimidation and barbarity both casual and calculated, demoralized the French, engineering a community collapse that enabled the deportations and deaths of more than 70,000 Jews. Hannah’s proven storytelling skills are ideally suited to depicting such cataclysmic events, but her tendency to sentimentalize undermines the gravitas of this tale.

Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-312-57722-3

Page Count: 448

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: Nov. 19, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014

HISTORICAL FICTION | FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP

More by Kristin Hannah

THE WOMEN

by Kristin Hannah

THE FOUR WINDS

BOOK TO SCREEN

‘The Nightingale’ Is Reese’s Book Club Pick

by Roy Jacobsen ; translated by Don Bartlett & Don Shaw ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 7, 2020

A deeply satisfying novel, both sensuously vivid and remarkably poignant.

Norwegian novelist Jacobsen folds a quietly powerful coming-of-age story into a rendition of daily life on one of Norway’s rural islands a hundred years ago in a novel that was shortlisted for the 2017 Man Booker International Prize.

Ingrid Barrøy, her father, Hans, mother, Maria, grandfather Martin, and slightly addled aunt Barbro are the owners and sole inhabitants of Barrøy Island, one of numerous small family-owned islands in an area of Norway barely touched by the outside world. The novel follows Ingrid from age 3 through a carefree early childhood of endless small chores, simple pleasures, and unquestioned familial love into her more ambivalent adolescence attending school off the island and becoming aware of the outside world, then finally into young womanhood when she must make difficult choices. Readers will share Ingrid’s adoration of her father, whose sense of responsibility conflicts with his romantic nature. He adores Maria, despite what he calls her “la-di-da” ways, and is devoted to Ingrid. Twice he finds work on the mainland for his sister, Barbro, but, afraid she’ll be unhappy, he brings her home both times. Rooted to the land where he farms and tied to the sea where he fishes, Hans struggles to maintain his family’s hardscrabble existence on an island where every repair is a struggle against the elements. But his efforts are Sisyphean. Life as a Barrøy on Barrøy remains precarious. Changes do occur in men’s and women’s roles, reflected in part by who gets a literal chair to sit on at meals, while world crises—a war, Sweden’s financial troubles—have unexpected impact. Yet the drama here occurs in small increments, season by season, following nature’s rhythm through deaths and births, moments of joy and deep sorrow. The translator’s decision to use roughly translated phrases in conversation—i.e., “Tha’s goen’ nohvar” for "You’re going nowhere")—slows the reading down at first but ends up drawing readers more deeply into the world of Barrøy and its prickly, intensely alive inhabitants.

Pub Date: April 7, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-77196-319-0

Page Count: 272

Publisher: Biblioasis

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020

LITERARY FICTION | HISTORICAL FICTION | FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP

More by Roy Jacobsen

WHITE SHADOW

by Roy Jacobsen ; translated by Don Bartlett & Don Shaw

BORDERS

by Roy Jacobsen translated by Don Bartlett & Don Shaw

CHILD WONDER

by Roy Jacobsen & translated by Don Bartlett & Don Shaw

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the notebook book review

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The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

Title: The Notebook

Author:  Nicholas Sparks

Publisher:  Grand Central Publishing

Genre: Romance Fiction

First Publication: 1996

Language:  English

Major Characters: Allie Hamilton, Noah, Jr., Lon Hammond, Anne Hamilton, Dr. Barnwell

Setting Place: North Carolina

Narration: First Person (in first and last chapters), Third Person

Theme: Love Conquers All, Fate Vs Free Will,

Book Summary: The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

Set amid the austere beauty of the North Carolina coast , The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks begins with the story of Noah Calhoun, a rural Southerner recently returned from the Second World War . Noah is restoring a plantation home to its former glory, and he is haunted by images of the beautiful girl he met fourteen years earlier, a girl he loved like no other. Unable to find her, yet unwilling to forget the summer they spent together, Noah is content to live with only memories…until she unexpectedly returns to his town to see him once again.

Like a puzzle within a puzzle, the story of Noah and Allie is just the beginning. As it unfolds, their tale miraculously becomes something different, with much higher stakes. The result is a deeply moving portrait of love itself, the tender moments and the fundamental changes that affect us all. It is a story of miracles and emotions that will stay with you forever.

Book Review: The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

Allison Hamilton, now 29 years old, can’t seem to shake away her first love, Noah Calhoun. Torn between her fiancé Lon and her soul mate Noah, Allie must make a decision that won’t be easy and faces the danger of breaking one of these man’s hearts. Nicholas Sparks writes a jaw-dropping, passionate romance novel that will have you wanting more. If you aren’t a fan of romance stories, start here and read this captivating novel The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks.

It all started that summer when Allie was only 15; she met Noah- a low class 17 year old filled with life and enthusiasm- and they immediately clicked. Infatuated with love, this young couple did everything together and they were never apart. They had high hopes of being together, raising a family and growing old with each other. Even though they had their differences at times, they still were there for each other.

“I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts and I’ve led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I’ve loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough.”

Unfortunately, Allie had to go back home and leave Noah behind. Heartbroken, Allie missed Noah and thought about him all the time. Noah was sad and missed Allie terribly. He wrote letters to Allie-one each day- but all of them were left unanswered. Allie’s mother had purposely taken them, without informing Allie. She didn’t think Noah was right for Allie and referred to him as “trash.” Years passed and both of them had not heard from each other but they still had tremendous love for one another.

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks will make you fall even more in love with love stories. If you are not a fan of romance stories then The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks is definitely what you need. From the second you pick up this book to the second you put it down, it will change the way you look at love and make you desire it. Nicholas Spark paints us a beautiful picture of the obstacles and the wonderful things that loves offers.

“So it’s not gonna be easy. It’s going to be really hard; we’re gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me… everyday.”

Nicholas Spark’s unique writing will have you fighting back tears and wishing for a relationship just like the one that is shared between Noah and Allie. This heart warming novel had me on the edge of my seat, not wanting to put the book down. I anxiously turned each page waiting to see what became of Allie and Noah.

The Notebook is a timeless love story that captures the essence of enduring romance. Set against the backdrop of 1940s North Carolina, the novel follows the passionate yet turbulent relationship between Noah Calhoun and Allie Nelson, two young lovers torn apart by social class and familial expectations. Sparks masterfully interweaves their heart-wrenching past with their poignant present, where Noah attempts to revive Allie’s fading memory through the power of their love story. With its tender moments and heartbreaking sacrifices, The Notebook is a beautifully written tale that celebrates the resilience of true love and the unbreakable bonds it can forge.

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Reviews of The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

Summary | Excerpt | Reading Guide | Reviews | Read-Alikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

The Notebook

  • Critics' Consensus:
  • Readers' Rating:
  • First Published:
  • Oct 1, 1996, 214 pages
  • Dec 1999, 226 pages
  • Romance/Love Stories
  • N & S Carolina
  • 1940s & '50s
  • Publication Information
  • Write a Review
  • Buy This Book

About This Book

  • Reading Guide

Book Summary

A man with a faded, well-worn notebook open in his lap. A woman experiencing a morning ritual she doesn't understand. Until he begins to read to her. An achingly tender story about the enduring power of love.

A man with a faded, well-worn notebook open in his lap. A woman experiencing a morning ritual she doesn't understand. Until he begins to read to her. The Notebook is an achingly tender story about the enduring power of love, a story of miracles that will stay with you forever. Set amid the austere beauty of coastal North Carolina in 1946, The Notebook begins with the story of Noah Calhoun, a rural Southerner returned home from World War II. Noah, thirty-one, is restoring a plantation home to its former glory, and he is haunted by images of the beautiful girl he met fourteen years earlier, a girl he loved like no other. Unable to find her, yet unwilling to forget the summer they spent together, Noah is content to live with only memories...until she unexpectedly returns to his town to see him once again. Allie Nelson, twenty-nine, is now engaged to another man, but realizes that the original passion she felt for Noah has not dimmed with the passage of time. Still, the obstacles that once ended their previous relationship remain, and the gulf between their worlds is too vast to ignore. With her impending marriage only weeks away, Allie is forced to confront her hopes and dreams for the future, a future that only she can shape. Like a puzzle within a puzzle, the story of Noah and Allie is just the beginning. As it unfolds, their tale miraculously becomes something different, with much higher stakes. The result is a deeply moving portrait of love itself, the tender moments and the fundamental changes that affect us all. Shining with a beauty that is rarely found in current literature, The Notebook establishes Nicholas Sparks as a classic storyteller with a unique insight into the only emotion that really matters. "I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough." And so begins one of the most poignant and compelling love stories you will ever read...The Notebook

Chapter One: Miracles

Who am I? And how, I wonder, will this story end? The sun has come up and I am sitting by a window that is foggy with the breath of a life gone by. I'm a sight this morning: two shirts, heavy pants, a scarf wrapped twice around my neck and tucked into a thick sweater knitted by my daughter thirty birthdays ago. The thermostat in my room is set as high as it will go, and a smaller space heater sits directly behind me. It clicks and groans and spews hot air like a fairytale dragon, and still my body shivers with a cold that will never go away, a cold that has been eighty years in the making. Eighty years, I think sometimes, and despite my own acceptance of my age, it still amazes me that I haven't been warm since George Bush was president. I wonder if this is how it is for everyone my age. My life? It isn't easy to explain. It has not been the rip-roaring spectacular I fancied it would be, but neither have I burrowed around with the gophers. I suppose it...

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A man with a faded, well-worn notebook open in his lap. A woman experiencing a morning ritual she doesn’t understand. Until he begins to read to her.   The Notebook  is an achingly tender story about the enduring power of love, a story of miracles that will stay with you forever. Set amid the austere beauty of coastal North Carolina in 1946, The Notebook begins with the story of Noah Calhoun, a rural Southerner returned home from World War II. Noah, thirty-one, is restoring a plantation home to its former glory, and he is haunted by images of the beautiful girl he met fourteen years earlier, a girl he loved like no other. Unable to find her, yet unwilling to forget the summer they spent together, Noah is content to live with only memories. . . until she unexpectedly returns to his town to see him once again. Allie Nelson, twenty-nine, is now engaged to another man, but realizes that the original passion she felt for Noah has not dimmed with the passage of time. Still, the obstacles that once ended their previous relationship remain, and the gulf between their worlds is too vast to ignore. With her impending marriage only weeks away, Allie is forced to confront her hopes and dreams for the future, a future that only she can shape. Like a puzzle within a puzzle, the story of Noah and Allie is just beginning. As it unfolds, their tale miraculously becomes something different, with much higher stakes. The result is a deeply moving portrait of love itself, the tender moments, and fundamental changes that affect us all. Shining with a beauty that is rarely found in current literature,  The Notebook establishes Nicholas Sparks as a classic storyteller with a unique insight into the only emotion that really matters.

the notebook book review

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Inspiration

It wasn’t easy to come up with the plot for my first (published) novel, but in the end, I decided to go with something that I knew I could do.

The Notebook was inspired by my wife’s grandparents, two wonderful people who spent over 60 years together. My wife was very fond of these two people—the other set of grandparents had died when she was young—and she was one of those people who loved to visit on the weekends, growing up. When she turned sixteen, as soon as she got her license, she would drive up to visit them on the weekends and even when she went off to college (about two hours away) she still went to visit them a couple of times a month just to check on them, to make sure they had groceries, and all those things a nice granddaughter would do.

Since they were so special to her, my wife was, of course, looking forward to having these two people involved in her wedding. But, unfortunately, the day before the wedding, we got a call and were told that the grandparents wouldn’t be able to attend. Even though they were only forty minutes away by car and someone else could drive them, they were in such ill health that their doctor recommended they stay at home. My wife was very sad about that, but the day was so hectic, she did her best to put it out of her mind. I guess it finally struck home for her when she was standing in the back of the church and getting ready to walk down the aisle. In the back of the church was a small table and on the table was a box that had been brought by the florist. It contained the corsages and boutonnieres for the wedding party and our parents, but as she was standing there, she couldn’t help but notice there were two flowers left untouched—those that had been meant for the grandparents.

We went through the ceremony and reception, we talked to family and danced, did all those typical things, and went back to the hotel. When I woke the next morning, my wife rolled over and met my eyes, looking just about as beautiful as I’d ever seen a woman look.

“Do you love me?” she asked. “Of course I do,” I whispered, wondering why she asked. “Well good,” she said, clapping her hands and speaking in an authoritarian tone. “Then you’re going do something for me.” “Yes ma’am,” I said.

Anyway, what she had me do was put on my tuxedo again. She slipped into her wedding dress, grabbed those two flowers (she’d brought them to the hotel), a piece of wedding cake, and a video that my brother-in-law had shot the day before, and we brought a little wedding up to the grandparents.

They had no idea we’d be coming and were excited to see us. My grandfather-in-law slipped into his jacket and put on the boutonniere and we took photographs with them; we went inside and watched the video as we ate a slice of cake, and it was then they told us the story of how they met and fell in love, parts of which eventually made their way into The Notebook.

But though their story was wonderful, what I most remember from that day is the way they were treating each other. The way his eyes shined when he looked at her, the way he held her hand, the way he got her tea and took care of her. I remember watching them together and thinking to myself that after sixty years of marriage, these two people were treating each other exactly the same as my wife and I were treating each other after twelve hours. What a wonderful gift they’d given us, I thought, to show us on our first day of marriage that true love can last forever.

New Bern, NC

New Bern is a quiet town on the coast of North Carolina. Located in Craven County, New Bern is the second oldest town in North Carolina. It is a town rich in American history, a site of Civil War battle, and the birthplace of Pepsi-Cola. New Bern’s downtown is bustling with restaurants and entertainment, and the town’s southern reaches are home to the quieter Croatan National Forest. With historic homes, beautiful gardens, and quaint shops, New Bern provides the ideal setting for The Notebook, which takes us back in time to a quiet and romantic period in the city’s history, as well as The Wedding, A Bend in the Road and Safe Haven.

As teenagers, Allie (Rachel McAdams) and Noah (Ryan Gosling) begin a whirlwind courtship that soon blossoms into tender intimacy. The young couple is quickly separated by Allie's upper-class parents who insist that Noah isn't right for her. Several years pass and, when they meet again, their passion is rekindled, forcing Allie to choose between her soulmate and class order. This beautiful tale has a particularly special meaning to an older gentleman (James Garner) who regularly reads the timeless love story to his aging companion (Gena Rowlands).

Based on the best-selling novel by Nicholas Sparks,  The Notebook  is at once heartwarming and heartbreaking and will capture you with its sweeping and emotional force.

the notebook book review

  • Director: Nick Cassavetes
  • Screenplay: Jeremy Leven
  • Cast: Gena Rowlands, James Garner, Ryan Gosling
  • Run Time: 123 minutes

Film Stills

2004_the_notebook_001

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Related news, book news 99p special ebook offer for uk readers, film, tv & stage news get a behind-the-scenes look at the notebook: the musical, event news, film, tv & stage news, from nick casting news for the notebook on broadway, subscribe to nicholas’s mailing list.

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the notebook book review

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The Notebook

Self-Purchased copy

the notebook book review

Nicholas Sparks

Penguin Books

Romance , number of pages.

“As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. ”

In the story, Noah, a poor young man, falls in love with Allie, an upper-class girl, but her parents disapprove of their relationship, which breaks the couple apart.

The Notebook begins with an eighty-year-old man describing the most remarkable part of his life. The story then moves on to Noah and Allie when happenstance brought them together one summer. Then they never met for 14 years until one afternoon, Allie decides to visit Noah to tell him she is engaged to Lon. Or was that just a reason to see her first love once more. Noah is then sure he wants her back, but can Ellie stay back?

This book highlights the power of true love and companionship. The story was not very special for me; what makes this book unique is the narrative by an old Noah. Riddled with arthritis and living in a senior home, his passion has only grown not diminished. His fierce determination for his first love makes the tale so poetic and heart-touching.

The book makes you nostalgic about two beautiful themes, poetry and letter writing.  The poems are so sweet, and adorable and they agree with the context. But the letter writing is meant for a good cry. Its beauty has been captured brilliantly.

So it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard; we're gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me... everyday." — Nicholas Sparks ( The Notebook )

Other Books by Nicholas Sparks

Another thing I liked that Nicholas Sparks considered is the length of the book. It’s a quick read. One-night read; It’s suitable for readers who have less time on their hands and yet want to get lost in a good story.

The writing is easy, straightforward and the cliff-hanger in the story pivoting back to current-times is just amazing. This makes the writing gripping. I love Noah and Allie too; the will she, won’t she suspense just had me turning pages. I was angry at Allie one time. I felt like she was using Noah but realized that I would have been more twisted than her in her place. The characters felt so real.

Didn't Like

I am unhappy only about one thing. The book I have, the story covers only 70% of it. The rest of the pages are about Nicholas Sparks, his upcoming books, chapters from his popular books, etc. I feel cheated. That’s all.

Final Verdict

I award one star each to the story, the realistic characters, the lovely poetry, the forever kind-of bitter-sweet ending, and the tale's length to make it 5 stars worthy. No doubt.

the notebook book review

Who Should Read This and Who Shouldn't

Romance readers looking for a clean, elegant story should definitely read this. If you’re looking for steamy, sexy romance, you might not enjoy this. But otherwise, young and old alike and enjoy this light read immensely.

If you don’t get emotional during the movie or reading the book, you’ll most certainly cry at the end of the story.

Happy Reading!

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Nicholas Sparks is one of the world’s most beloved storytellers. All of his books have been  New York Times  bestsellers, with over 105 million copies sold worldwide, in more than 50 languages, including over 75 million copies in the United States alone. Sparks wrote one of his best-known stories,  The Notebook , over a period of six months at age 28. It was published in 1996 and he followed with the novels  Message in a Bottle  (1998),  A Walk to Remember  (1999),  The Rescue  (2000),  A Bend in the Road  (2001),  Nights in Rodanthe  (2002),  The Guardian  (2003),  The Wedding  (2003),  True Believer  (2005) and its sequel,  At First Sight  (2005),  Dear John  (2006),  The Choice  (2007),  The Lucky One  (2008),  The Last Song  (2009),  Safe Haven  (2010),  The Best of Me  (2011),  The Longest Ride  (2013),  See Me  (2015),  Two by Two  (2016) and Every Breath (2018) as well as the 2004 non-fiction memoir  Three Weeks With My Brother , co-written with his brother Micah. His twenty-first novel,  The Return , will be published on September 29, 2020. Film adaptations of Nicholas Sparks novels, including  The Choice ,  The Longest Ride ,  The Best of Me ,  Safe Haven  (on all of which he served as a producer),  The Lucky One ,  Message in a Bottle ,  A Walk to Remember ,  The Notebook ,  Nights in Rodanthe ,  Dear John  and  The Last Song , have had a cumulative worldwide gross of over three-quarters of a billion dollars.  The Notebook  is also being adapted into a musical, featuring music and lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson.

the notebook book review

Sparks lives in North Carolina. He contributes to a variety of local and national charities, and is a major contributor to the Creative Writing Program (MFA) at the University of Notre Dame, where he provides scholarships, internships, and a fellowship annually. He co-founded The Epiphany School in New Bern, North Carolina in 2006. As a former full scholarship athlete (he still holds a track and field record at the University of Notre Dame) he also spent four years coaching track and field athletes at the local public high school. In 2009, the team he coached at New Bern High School set a World Junior Indoor Record in the 4x400 meter, in New York. The record still stands.

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The Notebook

Where to watch.

Rent The Notebook on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

What to Know

It's hard not to admire its unabashed sentimentality, but The Notebook is too clumsily manipulative to rise above its melodramatic clichés.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Nick Cassavetes

Ryan Gosling

Noah Calhoun

Rachel McAdams

Allie Hamilton

James Garner

Gena Rowlands

Allie Calhoun

James Marsden

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Themes and Analysis

The notebook, by nicholas sparks.

At the core of 'The Notebook' is the relationship between the heart and the mind, feelings, and memories. The themes, symbols and key moments in the novel are discussed here.

Israel Njoku

Article written by Israel Njoku

Degree in M.C.M with focus on Literature from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

‘ The Notebook ‘ by Nicholas Sparks captures themes and symbols with philosophical and psychological implications, particularly on the issue of the relationship between feelings and memories. It begs the question, how much do our memories shape our feelings? The novel is small in volume but mighty in its ability to provoke thoughts and introspection.

Like books such as ‘ Romeo and Juliet ‘ by William Shakespeare and ‘ Pride and Prejudice ‘ by Jane Austen , the familiar theme of love is found in ‘ The Notebook ‘ by Nicholas Sparks. Also, there are other less popular but important themes, such as aging, memory, beauty in nature, and class discrimination in this novel. Let’s take a close look at some of these themes here.

Enduring Love

In ‘ The Notebook ,’ love is remarked as a force capable of overcoming all odds, be it social class, science, time, age, or physical ailment. Love is a powerful value capable of bringing life and restoring purpose to life regardless of whatever challenges there may be. Noah and Allie fall in love as teenagers, but their nascent love faces many challenges. The first challenge is their separation when Allie moves with her family to a new city. The next challenge is interference from Allie’s parents, then Allie’s betrothal to another man. But Allie and Noah overcome all these challenges to their union and marry each other.

The challenges continue even in their blissful marriage. The death of one of their children and the loss of Allie’s mind are the greatest of these challenges. But it does not deter Noah from nurturing their love, and their union waxes stronger.

Aging and Mortality

A dominant setting in the novel is a nursing home for old people, where we see several inmates, including the protagonists passing through several levels of physical debilitation as a result of their old age. The novel remarks on the inevitable deterioration of the mortal human body with time and that this deterioration must eventually lead to death.

From the perspective of old age, the narrator rues the folly of wasting one’s limited time in life chasing things that will not matter in the long run at the expense of eternal values like love.

‘ The Notebook ‘ by Nicholas Sparks also highlights some of the differences between the mind, body, and behavior of young people and old people.

Memories and Feelings

One of the other ascendant themes of ‘ The Notebook ‘ is the existential argument that feelings are much beyond what the mind can comprehend and that memory is only a peripheral value when juxtaposed with feelings.

This is best explained in the complexities of Allie’s interactions with Noah as she suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease wiped Allie’s mind clean of all her memories, including the memory of her soul mate and lifelong lover, Noah. Yet, she feels a connection with him and feels safe in his company despite her inability to recognize him. Sometimes, the power of Allie’s feelings for Noah defies her disease, and she is able to recall memories of him.

Nicholas Sparks suggests in ‘ The Notebook ‘ that the workings of the human mind are not only controlled by experience and memories but also by feelings.

The Beauty of Nature

‘ The Notebook ‘ celebrates and pays tribute to nature in several ways. From Noah’s appreciation of and description of elements of nature to Allie’s art and paintings, we see a profound picture of the beauty of nature in flowers, the sky, swans, and trees, among others.

The characters Noah and Allie enjoy nature so much that the view of flowers and birds becomes both romantic and therapeutic to both of them.

Class Discrimination

‘ The Notebook ‘ by Nicholas Sparks frowns at the discrimination against people based on social class. In the novel, Allie’s parents try to put an obstacle between Allie and Noah because of their snobbish belief that Noah being from a poor family, is not good enough for their socialite daughter.

Class discrimination made Allie’s parents blind to Noah’s admirable qualities of kindness, hard work, and integrity. This made them stand in the way of their daughter’s happiness.

Analysis of Key Moments

  • Noah is an eighty-year-old in a nursing home and goes to visit his wife, Allie, but Allie does not recognize him because she suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Noah begins to read to Allie from a notebook that narrates a story from another timeline.
  • Noah is a lonely young man back from the war and spending his fortune and energy refurbishing an old, abandoned house in New Bern, North Carolina.
  • Young Allie is three weeks away from getting married to Lon Hammond, but she decides to visit Noah in New Bern before getting married.
  • Allie and Noah reconnect and rekindle their love after a few dates together.
  • Lon grows suspicious of Allie after she misses numerous calls he placed at the hotel where she is meant to be. He decides to go to New Bern and find out what is going on with her.
  • Allie’s mother, Anne Nelson, rushes to New Bern to warn Allie that Lon is coming in search of her. She then gives Allie letters from Noah, which she had hitherto hidden from Allie.
  • Allie goes to meet Lon and breaks up with him.
  • Noah and Allie get married and have children, but with time Allie begins to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Noah and Allie both move to a nursing home, and Noah makes it a routine to go and read their love story to Allie every day.

Style, Tone, and Figurative Language

The style of the narration is a combination of the first-person narrative and the third-person narrative. The author also makes use of framing devices in the novel. A framing device is a narrative technique where a story is told amidst another story. Often, the beginning and ending chapters serve as frames for the story told in the chapters in between. As we have in ‘ The Notebook ,’ chapter one and chapter eight frame the story told in chapters two to seven.

The tone of the narrator is poetic and wistful, and there are figurative devices deployed in the narration, notably similes and metaphors.

Analysis of Symbols

Symbols are items that signify something abstract beyond what they are at surface value. Some of the symbols in ‘ The Notebook ‘ are:

Noah’s House

Beyond its practical utility as a shelter, Noah’s house in New Bern is an emblem of his dreams and his belief that dreams eventually come true through hard work, patience, and diligence.

The house is also a symbol of the dead things that can be brought to life by the power of love and attention.

Allie’s Painting

Allie’s painting is a symbol of her desires and ideals. At some point in her life, she lost sight of both values in her life, but the recovery of her art and talent in painting was symbolic of her acceptance of her true self.

The Storm and the Hearth

The Storm in ‘The Notebook ‘ symbolizes the challenges posed to Noah and Allie’s union. On the other hand, the hearth symbolizes a haven that Noah and Allie find with each other that protects them from the cold and dangers of the storm.

The notebook is a symbol of the power of words and stories in preserving memories, feelings, and enriching experiences. Allie, whose memory was failing her because of her disease, could only revive the passions of her past by listening to her story from the notebook.

What mental illness does Allie have in ‘ The Notebook ?’

Allie is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in ‘ The Notebook .’ The disease makes her lose memories of her identity, family, and her past.

What is the age difference between Noah and Allie in ‘ The Notebook ?’

The age difference between Noah and Allie is two years. Noah is two years older than Allie. They first began their relationship when Allie was fifteen years old and Noah seventeen.

Why is ‘ The Notebook ‘ regarded as unrealistic?

‘The Notebook’ by Nicholas Sparks is regarded as unrealistic by many because of the character Noah. Noah is too idealistic and without flaws that make him relatable as a character.

Who is the antagonist of ‘ The Notebook ‘ by Nicholas Sparks?

The antagonist of ‘ The Notebook’ is Allie’s mother, Anne Nelson. She poses as the major obstacle against the protagonists’ love and happiness.

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Israel Njoku

About Israel Njoku

Israel loves to delve into rigorous analysis of themes with broader implications. As a passionate book lover and reviewer, Israel aims to contribute meaningful insights into broader discussions.

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the notebook book review

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'The Notebook" cuts between the same couple at two seasons in their lives. We see them in the urgency of young romance, and then we see them as old people, she disappearing into the shadows of Alzheimer's, he steadfast in his love. It is his custom every day to read to her from a notebook that tells the story of how they met and fell in love and faced obstacles to their happiness. Sometimes, he says, if only for a few minutes, the clouds part and she is able to remember who he is and who the story is about.

We all wish Alzheimer's could permit such moments. For a time, in the earlier stages of the disease, it does. But when the curtain comes down, there is never another act and the play is over. "The Notebook" is a sentimental fantasy, but such fantasies are not harmful; we tell ourselves stories every day, to make life more bearable. The reason we cried during " Terms of Endearment " was not because the mother was dying, but because she was given the opportunity for a dignified and lucid parting with her children. In life it is more likely to be pain, drugs, regret and despair.

The lovers are named Allie Nelson and Noah Calhoun, known as Duke. As old people they're played by Gena Rowlands and James Garner . As young people, by Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling . The performances are suited to the material, respecting the passion at the beginning and the sentiment at the end, but not pushing too hard; there is even a time when young Noah tells Allie, "I don't see how it's gonna work," and means it, and a time when Allie gets engaged to another man.

She's a rich kid, summering at the family's mansion in North Carolina. He's a local kid who works at the sawmill but is smart and poetic. Her parents are snobs. His father ( Sam Shepard ) is centered and supportive. Noah loves her the moment he sees her, and actually hangs by his hands from a bar on a Ferris wheel until she agrees to go out with him. Her parents are direct: "He's trash. He's not for you." One day her mother ( Joan Allen ) shows her a local working man, who looks hard-used by life, and tells Allie that 25 years ago she was in love with him. Allie thinks her parents do not love each other, but her mother insists they do; still, Allen is such a precise actress that she is able to introduce the quietest note of regret into the scene.

The movie is based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks , whose books inspired "Message in a Bottle" (1999), unloved by me, and " A Walk to Remember " (2002), which was so sweet and positive it persuaded me (as did Mandy Moore as its star). Now here is a story that could have been a tearjerker, but -- no, wait, it is a tearjerker, it's just that it's a good one. The director is Nick Cassavetes , son of Gena Rowlands and John Cassavetes , and perhaps his instinctive feeling for his mother helped him find the way past soap opera in the direction of truth.

Ryan Gosling has already been identified as one of the best actors of his generation, although usually in more hard-edged material. Rachel McAdams, who just a few months ago was the bitchy high school queen in " Mean Girls ," here shows such beauty and clarity that we realize once again how actors are blessed by good material. As for Gena Rowlands and James Garner: They are completely at ease in their roles, never striving for effect, never wanting us to be sure we get the message. Garner is an actor so confident and sure that he makes the difficult look easy, and loses credit for his skill. Consider how simply and sincerely he tells their children: "Look, guys, that's my sweetheart in there." Rowlands, best-known for high-strung, even manic characters, especially in films by her late husband, here finds a quiet vulnerability that is luminous.

The photography by Robert Fraisse is striking in its rich, saturated effects, from sea birds at sunset to a dilapidated mansion by candlelight to the texture of Southern summer streets. It makes the story seem more idealized; certainly the retirement home at the end seems more of heaven than of earth.

And the old mansion is underlined, too, first in its decay and then in its rebirth; young Noah is convinced that if he makes good on his promise to rebuild it for Allie, she will come to live in it with him, and paint in the studio he has made for her. ("Noah had gone a little mad," the notebook says.) That she is engaged to marry another shakes him but doesn't discourage him.

We have recently read much about Alzheimer's because of the death of Ronald Reagan. His daughter Patti Davis reported that just before he died, the former president opened his eyes and gazed steadily into those of Nancy, and there was no doubt that he recognized her.

Well, it's nice to think so. Nice to believe the window can open once more before closing forever.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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The Notebook movie poster

The Notebook (2004)

Rated PG-13 for some sexuality

123 minutes

Rachel McAdams as Young Allie Nelson

Ryan Gosling as Young Noah Calhoun

Gena Rowlands as Allie Nelson

James Garner as Noah Calhoun

Joan Allen as Allie's Mother

Heather Wahlquist as Sara Tuffington

Nancy De Mayo as Mary Allen Calhoun

Sylvia Jefferies as Rosemary

Directed by

  • Nick Cassavetes
  • Jeremy Leven

Based on the novel by

  • Nicholas Sparks

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‘The Notebook’ Review: A Musical Tear-Jerker or Just All Wet?

The 2004 weepie comes to Broadway with songs by Ingrid Michaelson and a $5 box of tissues.

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On a darkened stage, a man in a white tank top lifts a woman wearing a blue dress under pouring stage rain.

By Jesse Green

Romantic musicals are as personal as romance itself. What makes you sigh and weep may leave the person next to you bored and stony.

At “The Notebook,” I was the person next to you.

You were sniffling even before anything much happened onstage. As the lights came up, an old man dozed while a teenage boy and girl frisked nearby in an unconvincing body of water. A wispy song called “Time” wafted over the footlights: “Time time time time/It was never mine mine mine.”

But having seen (I’m guessing more than once) the 2004 movie on which “The Notebook” is based, and possibly having read the 1996 novel by Nicholas Sparks, you perfectly well knew what was coming. That was the point of mounting the show, which opened on Thursday at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater , in the first place.

It therefore cannot be a spoiler — and anyway this block of cheese is impervious — to reveal that over the course of the 54 years covered by the musical, the frisky boy, Noah, turns into the dozing man. And that Allie, the frisky girl, having overcome various impediments to their love, winds up his wife. Nor does it give anything away to add that Allie, now 70 and in a nursing home with dementia, will not remember Noah until he recites their story from a notebook she prepared long ago for that purpose.

So there’s a reason the producers are selling teeny $5 “Notebook”-themed boxes of tissues in the lobby. Love is powerful. Dementia is sad. The result can be heartbreaking.

Or maybe, seen with a cold eye, meretricious.

The movie, a super-slick Hollywood affair, did everything it could to keep the eye warm. Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, as the young couple, could not have been glowier. The soundtrack relied on precision-crafted standards like “I’ll Be Seeing You” to yank at your tear ducts. The production design, like a montage of greeting cards come to life , celebrated valentine passion, anniversary tenderness and golden sympathy, releasing flocks of trained geese into a technicolor sunset to symbolize lifelong pair bonding.

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Spoiler Disclaimer

An elderly man reads a story to his ailing wife about two star-crossed lovers from years ago. Noah Calhoun and Allie Nelson met at a local carnival in 1932. They fell in love at first sight and became inseparable until her family moved away. For the next two years, Noah wrote to Allie regularly but never received a reply. He went on with his life, first moving to New Jersey where he worked in a scrapyard, and later went off to fight in Europe during WWII. No matter where he went, the ghost of his whirlwind summer romance with Allie haunted him, making it impossible to have a successful relationship. Fourteen years later, Noah is living a peaceful existence in North Carolina in an old house that he restored after returning from the war, when who should pull into his driveway, but the woman he's never been able to forget.

Allie had never forgotten Noah either. Her parents didn't really approved of Noah, thinking he wasn't good enough for their daughter. She went off to college and has since become engaged to a man who is more to their liking. She loves her fiancé, but knows there is something missing in their relationship, the passion that she has only shared with one man. Three weeks before her wedding, Allie sees a picture of Noah in the local paper and knows she must see him one more time before getting married. When she pulls up to Noah's house, she isn't quite sure what she's hoping for, but what she finds is that their love never died. After only one day with Noah, she's sure she'll never have anything like this with her fiancé, but will she have the strength to make the most difficult decision of her life?

The Notebook is a poignant story of true and unending love in its purest form, and the power and magic of love to defy all odds. It begins with an elderly man, sitting by his wife's bedside, reading her a story. From there, we travel back in time to when star-crossed lovers Noah and Allie met as teenagers in 1932 and spent one magical summer together. They were from opposite sides of the tracks. Allie was from a well-to-do family with political connections, and Noah was more or less a nobody. An aristocratic type system still prevailed in the South, so Allie's family didn't approve of a match with Noah and the two were separated for fourteen years. Noah moved to New Jersey where he worked for several years before joining the Army and heading for Europe to fight in WWII. Allie went to college, abandoned her artwork of which her parents did not approve, and eventually became engaged to an attorney of whom they did approve. Over the years, neither was able to forget the other. Noah has had no successful relationships since, because the ghost of the time he spent with Allie still haunts him, and deep down, Allie knows there is something missing in her relationship with her fiancé.

Neither really knows what became of the other until Allie sees a picture of Noah in a local newspaper just three weeks before her wedding. Seeing him again, stirs memories and emotions, and even though she doesn't really know why at the time, she is compelled to go see him in person one last time before getting married. She tells her family and fiancé that she needs to get away from the stress of wedding planning and heads for New Bern alone. Noah can hardly believe his eyes when the woman of his dreams pulls up in front of his house one day out of the blue. The longing and desire between Noah and Allie is extremely moving and palpable and hasn't dimmed one bit in fourteen long years. I love how they slip right back into a comfortable relationship as though they've never been apart. It's obvious that they're soul mates and perfect for each other, and in their heart of hearts, they know it too. After only one evening with Noah, Allie knows that what they share is something she's never had with her fiancé and never will.

At the point when Allie must make her fateful decision about which man she is going to choose, the story cuts back to the elderly man and his wife who we discover has Alzheimer's. This part of the book is so powerful and affecting, I read parts of it through a blur of tears. The lengths to which this man goes to help his wife remember the love they share is moving beyond words, an expression of a true and pure love. The way he romances her and gets her to fall in love with him over and over again and persists in doing it day after day, never giving up even when it doesn't always turn out the way he hopes is potent stuff, so much so that I'm sitting here crying my eyes out while writing this. It's the kind of love I think we all hope for, but so few seem to actually achieve.

Many readers seem to categorize The Notebook as romance, but I don't see it as such. For me, romance as a genre, usually only follows the couple through the falling in love stages of the relationship with the happily ever after implied. It taps into the fantasy of what we want love to be, while The Notebook takes that one step further. Not only do we get to see the beginnings of a relationship, we also get to see one very advanced in years, but no less passionate for the passage of time. It also takes a more realistic look at what it truly means to love someone. It's not just the gooey feeling we get when first falling in love or the sexual desire that soon follows. It's something that can last a lifetime when nurtured and a couple is fully committed to one another. Make no mistake, The Notebook is very romantic, but to me it is not merely a romance, but a love story.

The Notebook was my first read by Nicholas Sparks and certainly won't be my last. It was also his debut novel and very impressive for a first effort. The opening chapter and the latter part of the book with the elderly couple is written in first person, present tense which was beautifully rendered, giving these parts a deep sense of immediacy. Noah and Allie's story in the past is written in third person, past tense. This part was wonderful too, but I did have a small problem with the second chapter. When the author goes back to Noah and Allie's first meeting that summer, he tells it more like a narrator relating a story which made it a little difficult to get into at first. Because of the passive nature of this passage, I wasn't able to fully immerse myself on an emotional level like I wanted to and couldn't help wondering if it might have been better if written in a more active voice. Once the narrative got to Noah and Allie's reunion it was much better and only improved with every page I read. The ending was so utterly beautiful, I couldn't help giving the book the full five stars despite the early misstep.

Mr. Sparks definitely has a way with words, turning prose into pure poetry. There are so many quotable passages in this book, I almost feel like putting the whole thing in my memorable quotes file. For some reason, I was under the impression that Nicholas Sparks' books didn't have any love scenes in them, but apparently I was mistaken. I was very pleasantly surprised to find one, as well as other expressions of sexual desire, and even though that one love scene is only moderately descriptive, it was very sensual and emotional, unexpectedly well done for a male author. The Notebook is the first story in a duet about members of the Calhoun family, and I very much look forward to reading its sequel, The Wedding . This book has certainly found a spot on my keeper shelf. Reading it was a touching and emotional experience that has left a huge impression on me. It was an inspiring, thought-provoking, powerful and passionate love story that was absolutely unforgettable.

Nicholas Sparks

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Sensuality Rating Key

1 Heart = Smooching

May contain mild to moderate sexual tension and/or possible implications of something more taking place off canvas, but nothing beyond kissing actually occurs within the text. Our take: These books would be appropriate for teen and sensitive readers.

2 Hearts = Sweet

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the notebook book review

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  2. The Notebook (2004)

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  3. Fiction Book Review: The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks, Author Warner

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  4. The Notebook Summary Of The Book

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  5. The Notebook wiki, synopsis, reviews, watch and download

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  6. The Notebook

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COMMENTS

  1. The Notebook (The Notebook, #1) by Nicholas Sparks

    Nicholas Sparks is one of the world's most beloved storytellers. All of his books have been New York Times bestsellers, with over 130 million copies sold worldwide, in more than 50 languages, including over 92 million copies in the United States alone. Sparks wrote one of his best-known stories, The Notebook, over a period of six months at age 28.. It was published in 1996 and he followed ...

  2. THE NOTEBOOK

    THE NOTEBOOK. An epic of treacle, an ocean of tears, made possible by a perfect, ideal, unalloyed absence of humor. Destined, positively,... Sparks's debut is a contender in the Robert Waller book-sweeps for most shamelessly sentimental love story, with honorable mention for highest octane schmaltz throughout an extended narrative.

  3. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

    Book Review: The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. Allison Hamilton, now 29 years old, can't seem to shake away her first love, Noah Calhoun. Torn between her fiancé Lon and her soul mate Noah, Allie must make a decision that won't be easy and faces the danger of breaking one of these man's hearts. Nicholas Sparks writes a jaw-dropping ...

  4. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks: Summary and reviews

    A man with a faded, well-worn notebook open in his lap. A woman experiencing a morning ritual she doesn't understand. Until he begins to read to her. The Notebook is an achingly tender story about the enduring power of love, a story of miracles that will stay with you forever. Set amid the austere beauty of coastal North Carolina in 1946, The ...

  5. The Notebook Review by Nicholas Sparks

    The Notebook Review 'The Notebook' is a classic romantic tale that captures existential themes as it tells a love story between a poor small-town boy and a rich socialite girl.Nicholas Sparks puts a noble and loving soul in the lead character Noah. And Noah's musings are touching thoughts that are both heartwarming and inspirational.

  6. The Notebook

    The Notebook. by Nicholas Sparks. Publication Date: February 1, 2004. Genres: Fiction, Romance. Mass Market Paperback: 239 pages. Publisher: Warner Books. ISBN-10: 0446605239. ISBN-13: 9780446605236. Noah Calhoun carried his love for the willowy Allie Nelson with him long after their youthful romance ended.

  7. Nicholas Sparks The Notebook

    A man with a faded, well-worn notebook open in his lap. A woman experiencing a morning ritual she doesn't understand. Until he begins to read to her. The Notebook is an achingly tender story about the enduring power of love, a story of miracles that will stay with you forever. Set amid the austere beauty of coastal North Carolina in 1946, The Notebook begins with the story of Noah Calhoun, a ...

  8. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

    Nicholas Sparks and The Notebook. ' The Notebook ' is Nicholas Sparks' first published novel, although it was the third novel he wrote as the first two were never published. According to Sparks, ' The Notebook ' was inspired by the love story of his wife's grandparents who had been married for sixty years at the time Sparks was ...

  9. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

    Nicholas Sparks is one of the world's most beloved storytellers. All of his books have been New York Times bestsellers, with over 105 million copies sold worldwide, in more than 50 languages, including over 75 million copies in the United States alone. Sparks wrote one of his best-known stories, The Notebook, over a period of six months at age 28.

  10. The Notebook / The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks

    Nicholas Sparks, Tom Wopat (Narrator), Barry Bostwick (Narrator) 4.53. 11,778 ratings92 reviews. Listening length: approximately 13 hours. The Notebook: Read by Barry Bostwick. Scenes from the past and a collection of intensely personal letters tell the story of a long married couple now confined to a nursing home. The wedding: Read by Tom Wopat.

  11. The Notebook (novel)

    The Notebook was Nicholas Sparks' first published novel and written over a time period of six months in 1994. [1] [2] Literary agent Theresa Park discovered Sparks by picking the book out of her agency's slush pile and reading it.Park offered to represent him. In October 1995, Park secured a $1 million advance for the book from the Time Warner Book Group, and the novel was published in October ...

  12. Amazon.com: The Notebook: 9780446605236: Sparks, Nicholas: Books

    The Amazon Book Review Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now. Frequently bought together. This item: The Notebook . $8.16 $ 8. 16. Get it as soon as Thursday, Aug 8. Only 1 left in stock - order soon. ... The Notebook is absolutely the right book."― ...

  13. The Notebook

    The Notebook is a sweeping romance that spans decades and defies obstacles. Based on the bestselling novel by Nicholas Sparks, the film stars Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams as star-crossed lovers ...

  14. The Notebook Themes and Analysis

    Themes. Like books such as ' Romeo and Juliet ' by William Shakespeare and ' Pride and Prejudice ' by Jane Austen, the familiar theme of love is found in ' The Notebook ' by Nicholas Sparks. Also, there are other less popular but important themes, such as aging, memory, beauty in nature, and class discrimination in this novel.

  15. The Notebook movie review & film summary (2004)

    The Notebook. "The Notebook" is based on the best-selling novel by Nicholas Sparks and directed by Nick Cassavetes. 'The Notebook" cuts between the same couple at two seasons in their lives. We see them in the urgency of young romance, and then we see them as old people, she disappearing into the shadows of Alzheimer's, he steadfast in his love.

  16. 'The Notebook' Review: A Musical Tear-Jerker or Just All Wet?

    Love is powerful. Dementia is sad. The result can be heartbreaking. Or maybe, seen with a cold eye, meretricious. The movie, a super-slick Hollywood affair, did everything it could to keep the eye ...

  17. Amazon.com: The Notebook: 9781455582877: Sparks, Nicholas: Books

    The Notebook. Mass Market Paperback - June 24, 2014. by Nicholas Sparks (Author) 4.6 13,310 ratings. Book 1 of 2: The Notebook. See all formats and editions. Experience the unforgettable, heartbreaking love story set in post-World War II North Carolina about a young socialite and the boy who once stole her heart -- one of PBS's "Great ...

  18. The Notebook

    Review. The Notebook is a poignant story of true and unending love in its purest form, and the power and magic of love to defy all odds. It begins with an elderly man, sitting by his wife's bedside, reading her a story. From there, we travel back in time to when star-crossed lovers Noah and Allie met as teenagers in 1932 and spent one magical ...

  19. THE NOTEBOOK

    #erikhillreviews #erikjosephson #booktube #booktuber #nicholassparks I have finally read Nicholas Sparks' most well-known romance novel, and it's not what I ...

  20. Amazon.com: Customer reviews: The Notebook

    The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks is one of the most romantic stories ever told. The characters reach out and squeeze your heart, as if you are one of them. ... Book reviews & recommendations : IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities: IMDbPro Get Info Entertainment Professionals Need: Kindle Direct Publishing Indie Digital & Print Publishing

  21. The Notebook. "Behind Every great love is a great…

    Oct 19, 2017. --. The Notebook is a timeless love story based on the novel written by Nicholas Sparks. The movie focuses on the young love of Allie Nelson and Noah Calhoun, played by Rachel ...

  22. The Notebook (2004)

    Permalink. "The Notebook" is an American 2-hour movie from 2004, so this one is also already way over a decade old now. It is considered to be a defining movie of the 21st century when it comes to romance, heart-throb and cheering for the characters to become a couple. Lead actors Gosling and McAdams were a couple themselves back then and their ...

  23. The Notebook

    The Notebook is a 2004 American romantic drama film directed by Nick Cassavetes, from a screenplay by Jeremy Leven and Jan Sardi, and based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks.The film stars Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams as a young couple who fall in love in the 1940s. Their story is read from a notebook in the present day by an elderly man, telling the tale to a fellow ...

  24. The Notebook Trilogy

    The Notebook Trilogy is a collection of books by Hungarian writer Ágota Kristóf, written in French language. It tells the story of originally unnamed identical-twin brothers who live with their grandmother in a small village and border town of a war-torn country during an unspecified war. Throughout their journey, the boys express a ...

  25. The Notebook Musical Will Launch North American Tour in 2025

    The Notebook, the new musical based on the Nicholas Sparks novel that currently plays Broadway's Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, will launch a North American tour in fall 2025.. Performances will begin in September 2025 at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio, with casting and additional cities to be announced at a later date. "We are thrilled to bring the iconic love story found in The Notebook ...

  26. HP ProBook 445 35.6 cm (14) G9 Business Laptop PC Reviews

    HP ProBook 445 35.6 cm (14) G9 Business Laptop PC Reviews . AMD Ryzen™ 5 processor; FreeDOS; 35.6 cm (14) diagonal, FHD display with AMD Radeon™ Graphics; 8 GB DDR4-3200 RAM; Wolf Security, Fingerprint reader, Spill resistant keyboard ₹63,184 ...